The White Willow:  PreHogwarts
by Annaminadara
Summary: AU-story, Sirius' daughter living with the Tonks'. Trying to come to terms with the changes in her life after the First War. Depict her relationships with different characters from the books: Sirius, Remus etc.
1. Prologue: First tears

My first story coming up! AU-story, as canon as possible. Read to find out who is what and where is why :-D. Judging and reviewing after reading ;-).

**Disclaimer: I do not own, nor will I ever do, Harry Potter. Sad but true, it is all J.'s...**

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><p><strong>Prologue – The first tears<strong>

**1981  
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It was cold, windy, rainy and perfect for this one day. The rain wasn't pouring down, just slightly teasing the ground with its touch, and tempting the earth with water, but it was still a little uncomfortable for the people wandering outside the village, which was littered with rather small individuals, who were dressed funnily. They had capes and weird pointy hats on, some had empty pumpkins filled with good-smelling candy and there was one zombie with a vacant expression, a few ghosts and even a black cat.

Two miles away from the village there was a field, that was at the same time experiencing an unusual occurrence: a flying motorbike came from the skies with little noise, which was surprising considering the condition of the bike. On top of the bike was the rider, who was laughing. It sounded like barking, to be perfectly honest. The rider wasn't wearing a helmet: his face was visible in the faint light of the evening, dark hair with glowing gray eyes, laughing lines at the corners. A handsome face. Before him sat a little girl who was, unlike the man, wearing a helmet. Apparently the girl's safety was more important than the man's, since she was also pulled tightly into the man's chest with a warm coat on her.

They landed smoothly and kept on going on the road towards the village that had no idea what was coming into their midst. The man's smile grew wider and underneath the helmet you could see the girl smiling the same smile of enjoyment. The man slowed down when they drove nearer the village, Godrick's Hollow, and when they reached it he started pointing out funny things, like the zombie and a witch – that one had the girl laughing for some reason.

Sirius Black slowed down even more when he was a couple of streets from James and Lily's house because he wasn't in a hurry. In fact, he and Ariana were doing something very unusual for both of them – being early for something. But Ria was anxious to see Harry and tell Lily about something (she never did tell him what it was) and show James the new move she had pulled on her toy-broom yesterday. She had practically towed Sirius out of their apartment to his bike. Scary for a two-year-old of two days. It had always been like that, Ria was so grown up even at the age of two while her father was desperately trying to keep his girl as a child, even in the midst of a war. James said it was funny how Sirius, the most childish Marauder, was acting like a very responsible father. Sirius smiled a little cruelly when he thought about that comment because James didn't know how bad Mary was getting. She wasn't acting like a responsible mother, hence Ariana's need to share something with Lily, her godmother. But they had time, Sirius had to think like that, because otherwise his feared Black temper would come out and start yelling at Mary to actually take notice of her own daughter instead of just being afraid of everything. Yes, they were in the middle of a war but that didn't mean they had to stop living, Sirius thought angrily.

He looked down on Ariana, who was always called Ana by everyone except Sirius. Ria was his little star. Rather ironic when considered the fact that the Black family named their children after stars like Sirius, or galaxies like Andromeda, and when the tradition is broken by the black-sheep of the family (again the irony), the child has a star in her eye. Ria was a beauty in the traditional Black way: dark hair, gray eyes, high cheekbones, even features… Sirius wondered why he was even contemplating this, usually he didn't care. Maybe it had something to do with Ria's birthday that had been two days ago and went without a notice from her grandmother. The live one, Mary's mother had died two years ago. He hated his family so why did he feel disappointed when his mother didn't try to meet her only grandchild? He had tried so hard not to care but still he had somehow thought that motherly instincts would rule even his mother. But then again, maybe this just proved that the witch had no heart. She hadn't even come to her own son's funeral. Sirius felt the grief once again at the thought of his brother. Regulus, who had, at the end, come to his senses and switched sides. Regulus, who had died not six months ago.

Ria twitched suddenly in front of him and Sirius slowed down entirely when he felt the tug on his sleeve. He looked down with raised eyebrows and met the frightened eyes of Ria's and felt panic once again.

"What is it? What's wrong? Are you hurt?" he asked in a rush while moving his hand to his wand.

"Something bad, Dad. Feel strange, something missing", she answered through the helmet she had on. She frowned and wrinkled her nose in confusion. Sirius felt cold, because this wasn't the first time Ria had had one of these feelings. And she was always right. "Harry scared", she finally stated with a nod. "Hurry."

Sirius pulled one arm around her while he kicked up the engine and started driving faster. He knew not many people would believe Ria but after she had known that Lily was pregnant (by stating she was growing big and happy and that she was eating for two) Sirius had asked Dumbledore what was going on; why did his not-even-one-year-old daughter predict and know something like that, he had gotten the answer that she was just very bright and developing early. Both in magic and in life. Needless to say, Sirius could and did believe his daughter was capable of this.

He felt anxious. Why was Harry feeling scared? Where were Prongs and Lily? They were safe so what was going on. He and Ria finally got to street were the Potters lived and there Sirius could see what was wrong, dreadfully wrong.

The right side of the top floor had been blown apart, pieces of the wall were scattered around the yard among Harry's toys and the front door was blown off. Sirius didn't know if he imagined the smell of smoke or not, but it burned his nose. His eyes blurred when he stopped at the front gate, like he always did. He pulled his wand out and scooped up Ria and held her tightly, not wanting to let go. Anyone could be here, he wasn't going to risk her life by leaving her alone. He yanked the helmet off and could hear Ria muttering "empty" and started running to the house screaming Prongs's name, and calling out Lily. But he got no answer.

He came streaming inside and then he saw it, the sight that turned his blood cold and his eyes to tear up even though he never cried. James was lying in the hallway, eyes empty behind the glasses which always had been a little lopsided. Sirius didn't feel anything, his legs gave and he knelt beside his best friend and brother, shaking uncontrollably. They had always been closer than just best friends. They had considered each other the brother they never had, even though Sirius technically already had a biological brother. Or had had. Ria tumbled out of his arms and for once Sirius didn't realize this, until she took James's hand and said softly "Uncle Prongs". Sirius felt the tears fall down his cheeks, when he reached out his hand and closed James's brown, kind eyes that would never again meet his own with that little sparkle that showed him they were yet again thinking the exact same thing.

Sirius looked, without really seeing, at James and remembering how he six months ago came home to find the Dark Mark above his house and Regulus dead inside with empty eyes and terror written all over his face. Regulus had feared for Ria, who was with him at the time, but he had protected her, she had been okay. But Sirius had lost his biological brother. And now another, perhaps the one he had been closer to. He couldn't remember getting up, but when he did, Ria was already running up the stairs. Sirius looked at James and started running after his daughter, to find Lily and Harry although he feared this even more than he had feared for James. Lily and Harry had been James's everything, if they weren't okay he would always blame himself, even in heaven. He had been the protector of them all.

Sirius heard the scream and this made him run faster than he ever had in his life. He ran into Harry's room and collapsed right there on doorway. Lily was lying on the floor with the same glazed eyes as James, her long, red hair streaming around her. Ria was shaking her, trying to get her to wake up, even though she had to know it was useless. She kept screaming "Aunt Lily, Aunt Lily" but for the first time in her life, Lily didn't answer back with a kind word.

Then Sirius heard the cry. He looked up at the same time as Ria and he saw a sight that made him cry all the more because it was the last thing he expected to see. Harry had risen and was standing up in his cot, crying and holding out his arms, when Ria ran to him. The instant their hands connected, Harry quieted and just sniffled with his eyes still wide. The two of them had always been close, rather like siblings than just plain friends. Sirius got up and walked towards the children, lifted Harry out of his cot and pulled him tight towards himself, wanting to make sure he was okay, he was alive. Then he put him to the floor where Ria pulled him into another hug. Harry stood there, green eyes, Lily's eyes, wide and still scared. Sirius didn't think when he closed Lily's eyes, lifted her in his arms and started carrying her downstairs. He could hear Ria and Harry following but for the first time in his life, he wasn't thinking about Ria first. This moment was for James and Lily, the people he had considered as his family, his brother and sister-in-law. He carried Lily to the hallway and laid her beside James. Why he did this he couldn't say, he just felt this was right, this was something he had to do.

He turned around, not wanting to look at them and feel the raw pain that was starting to crack the earlier numbness. He walked upstairs with a sense of helplessness. At the landing he saw Ria and Harry, both with the same air of loss and confusion he himself was feeling. He held out his arms for both of them, they climbed into his arms and tightened their arms around him. He went once again downstairs, passed Lily and James and went into the living room where he put down Ria. Harry wouldn't let go of him, while Ria wanted space. She sat beside Sirius with unfocused eyes staring into something Sirius could not see.

Suddenly Ria started shaking and her face showed utter terror while her eyes were getting wider and darker. Sirius panicked, he could feel his own terror rising, the raw pain he was feeling multiplying when he saw the grief on his daughter's face. Her eyes were nearly black now and Sirius could see a bloody tear forming in the corner of her eye. He pulled Ria into his lap, trying to shake her out of this but nothing happened. Harry, who was still so little that he couldn't understand much, understood that something was wrong with his friend, his sister, and started crying again. Then she started screaming, she screamed for Lily and while Sirius sat helplessly just holding her another bloody tear formed in the corner of her eye. As he watched the bloody tears fell down her cheeks and onto the floor, where they turned into two roses with blood-red petals. Then Ria stopped shaking and screaming and sagged against her father, while her breathing tried to slow down to normal.

Sirius hugged her, hugged them both for a long time until he felt they were both as okay as they could be. "What happened, my little star?" he asked gently when he felt Ria was calm enough. She never liked it when people rushed her. "You're okay, right?"

"Yes, Daddy. Me fine. I saw what happened. Not nice", she said with a small voice that didn't sound at all like her. "The bad man came. Took away Aunt Lily and Uncle Prongs."

"You mean Voldemort?" Sirius asked shocked.

"The bad man", she repeated.

Sirius felt pain, loss, numbness and finally rage. If this had happened there was only one man who could have done this. Only one man with the tools to betray his friends and sell them to Voldemort. Peter.

How could he have been so stupid as not to see it? It wasn't Remus, it had never been Remus. He wasn't the one who was dirty, he had been a friend. It was Peter, the quiet one, the one who was perhaps the most prone of them to cowardness, and now cold-blooded deceit. There was no way a true friend would betray his friend to a murderer. And he, Sirius, had helped him in that. He had… He had suggested him as the Secret Keeper because it was the most diabolical explanation, the least likely. He had helped the traitor.

As Sirius sat for a long while with the two silent children, there finally came a noise from the outside. He stood up, without even bothering to wipe his tears off his face, grabbed the wand from the table next to the sofa, could see it was James', but knew he wouldn't have cared if it kept them safe, and went to the hallway with the children left in the living room. What he saw wasn't a Death Eater though. It was Hagrid.

"What-. What are you doing here?" Sirius asked, while still pointing the wand at Hagrid. He knew it was him because no one could imitate the presence that was Hagrid, plus someone had once told him that Hagrid was half-giant, and thus Polyjuice Potion didn't work on him. But right now he didn't trust anyone. "Who sent you?"

"Dumbledore", he answered before he started sobbing when he saw James and Lily. "He… He sent me. To see what's happened."

By then he was crying so hard it was hard to understand him and Sirius wasn't in the mood to even try. He was tired, he was emotionally drained, he felt like he had nothing to lose, nothing to give. "Why?"

"What're ye mean why?"

"Just that. Why did Dumbledore feel it necessary to send someone here, today?"

"Don't know. Jus' told me. And I do what Dumbledore asks. He heard rumours of You-Know-Who being defeated. Here."

Any other day Sirius would have been glad to hear these kinds of rumours but not today. Today was turning out to be the worst day of his life. And he had had his share of those already.

"How're ye here?" Hagrid asked when he finally calmed down, he had always liked Lily and James.

"Ariana and I, we were on our way to spend Halloween with them, you know. Lily was- She was excited about us doing it the Muggle way", Sirius explained when he felt the tears starting to fall again. "When we came, we saw the roof, the front door. Ria was getting that feeling again, knew something bad had happened…"

Hagrid, who had been present at the Order meeting where Ria had told Lily she was pregnant, just nodded stiffly and looked at the still bodies of Lily and James.

"What's going to happen?" Sirius asked Hagrid, for once feeling the helplessness that showed his years of one and twenty. But Hagrid wasn't looking at him but at something behind his back. When Sirius turned to look he saw Ria and Harry who had come out of the living room when they heard a friendly voice. Ria was keeping Harry slightly behind her, just like she had heard Sirius tell Mary to do when you weren't sure someone was a friend. She also had a wand in her hand, he could see with a glance it was Lily's wand. He felt sad at the thought of a two-year-old, so used to war that she knew what to do when danger came.

"Daddy?" she asked hesitatingly. "Okay to come?"

"Yes. It's just Hagrid, he's fine."

"Harry tired. Me too."

"I know. It's going to be okay", Sirius came forward and once again took both kids into his arms. He saw Hagrid, but his vision was getting blurred.

"I'm sorry, Sirius", he heard Hagrid say. He just nodded back, unable to speak. "Dumbledore tol' me to get Harry. He's to go to his aunt and uncle."

"What? No, I'm his godfather, give him to me. I'm supposed to look after him. He's going to be fine with me", Sirius recoiled fast while his eyes flew open. "Lily's sister hated her, she always said so. She's not going to take care of him. I was always supposed to take Harry if something happened."

"I know", Hagrid said sadly. "But Dumbledore's orders. Ye know him. Never could tell what's going on in 'is mind. Great man though, Dumbledore."

Sirius couldn't help himself, but for the first time since the age of eleven, he felt anger towards Dumbledore. So it was okay to send Harry to someone, who was going to hate him because of his parents, but not to someone who would love him? They were never going to let Sirius, or Ariana, visit him. They would lose him.

"Why would he say that?"

"Don't know. Jus' need to get him there."

It was useless, Sirius knew it. Hagrid was loyal to Dumbledore and if he told him to do something, Hagrid would do it or die trying. He was just going to hope there was a really good reason for this. And that Dumbledore would give it to him, instead of talking about how it was better for everyone not to know just yet. Albus was annoying like that.

"Fine", he sighed. "But take my bike, it's going to get you there faster."

"Thanks. Ye wanna say goodbye?" Hagrid said. Sirius knew he didn't mean to be disrespectful, he just didn't think at this point. And if he wasn't nearly blinded by tears already he would have told him so. Just not today, so he just nodded. Ria was looking at him with sad, understanding eyes.

"Not forever goodbye, Daddy. Just a while. We'll see him again", she said comforting him. Sirius was once again struck by the majority of his daughter, that never failed to surprise him. "Promise?" she continued and looked at Hagrid, who nodded.

"Yeah. Hogwarts, remember?"

"See, Daddy. Ten years, not so long."

Ten years can be a life-time, he thought to himself. I met Prongs, Moony and-. I met them ten years ago. And my whole life has changed. And it's Prongs' son. He's going to grow up so fast, and I won't see it. I've already lost so much, why him as well. But there was no point in arguing, Hagrid wouldn't budge and if it kept Harry safe, Sirius wasn't going to say no. "Right, star. Ten years will fly by and then you'll see Harry again. But right now you have to say goodbye."

Ria hugged Harry. Sirius knew she was feeling the loss as keenly as he was, after all, he and Prongs had always tried to get them to be like brother and sister, instead of just friends. But she was such a Black, not showing it. It was frightening really, how she managed to keep her feelings in check, but that was what a war did to a naturally resilient child. Ria let go of Harry and pressed a kiss on his forehead.

"Now I know if Harry not okay. He safe", she said. Sirius didn't have the heart to tell her it would probably not work, just nodded. He gave Harry a last squeeze before letting go of him and holding him out to Hagrid, who took him gently into his large hands. Sirius couldn't follow them out of the house, he couldn't make himself watch them leave. So he stayed behind, hugging Ariana until they heard the sound of the engine start and then fade away. Sirius felt Ria touch the necklace he always had on, the black dog Moony made him for Christmas in sixth year. Prongs had one of a brown stag, also made by Moony. He should take it and keep it for Harry, Prongs would have liked that. He walked over to him and gently took the necklace that had been the identifying mark between the Marauders, pocketed it carefully and walked out of the house. Later he would think about the funerals and all that, but now he had to take care of something. He had to take care of a traitor.

Sirius Side-Along apparated with Ariana to their apartment. For once, he thanked Alastor for his obsessive, paranoid training, because it meant he had an emergency kit always at hand for quick getaways. Thank Merlin Mary wasn't home, because that way she stayed safe.

"Go get your important things, star. We have to leave. We're not safe yet", Sirius said to Ria, who quickly ran to her room. Sirius, on the other hand, went to the cupboard and pulled out the bag he had hid there for over two years ago and hoped never to use. He wrote a quick note to Mary to tell her where they were going. He heard Ria's footsteps behind him and turned to see her stuffing a photo of him, Prongs, Harry and her into a bag Moony had given her just two days ago as a birthday-present, the one, only she could put stuff into. She stuffed Lily's wand into it as well and it was then, that Sirius realized he was still holding Prongs' wand. Wordlessly he gave it to Ria, who put it into her bag. Without thinking Sirius grabbed his uncle Alphard's old wand from the cupboard and gave his own to Ria. She looked at him funnily, but again just packed it to safety. Ria was holding her own bag and Sirius could see her stuffed animals: a black dog, a brown stag and a gray wolf. They had always gone a little over with the whole Animagus-thing. Just another thing for Lily to scold them about. Sirius smiled wistfully at the sight of the solemn girl, who was still a child in so many ways and a mature girl beyond her years in others. Stuffed animals as her most prized possessions, indeed.

"Where we going, Daddy?" she asked as she hopped into his arms. They had always made this routine of Ria jumping into his arms look so easy, so natural, that even Lily, the most perfect parent ever, had envied them.

"Aunt Meda. You remember her, right?"

"And Cousin Dora?" she asked, eyes bright. The novelty of a cousin never got old with her, seeing as she wasn't acknowledged by most of his father's family and her mother's side consisted of only Mary and Ria. The only children she saw were Harry and Meda's daughter, Nymfadora. What possessed Andromeda to name her daughter Nymfadora, Sirius would never know.

"And Cousin Dora", he sighed. "But you have to be there on your own for a while, star. Aunt Meda will take care of you, until your mother or I will come and get you, okay?"

Ariana wasn't happy about this, that was obvious, but even though Sirius wasn't the strictest of parent's (he was, in fact, nearly hopeless), Ria always knew when she could argue with her father about something and when she couldn't. Now was not the time.

"Fine", she mumbled.

"And you promise to be a good girl, right? No pranks, no Marauding", Sirius told her, trying to win a smile from her. It was an old ingrained habit of his, to push away bad things from his mind, until there was no escaping them.

"No Marauder", she replied with a ghost of a smile in her eyes. Good enough, Sirius thought and once again got pushed into the squeezing darkness.

They found themselves in the middle of the trees that were located behind Meda's and Ted's house. Sirius began running towards the house and when he reached the front door, he started knocking loudly, not caring if he woke them up. Finally a very angry-looking Andromeda came to the door with her wand at the ready, but her look changed to one of concern and anxiety when she saw the two Blacks.

"What has happened? Who's hurt?" she asked at once.

"James and Lily", Sirius answered. "It's Voldemort, he killed them."

Meda paled, opened the door wide and ushered them inside. When she had them in the neat living room and sitting down, she asked what had happened.

"I thought they were protected. You said so yourself. How could he get to them?"

"They had a Secret Keeper. They asked me… Merlin, they asked me, Meda, but I said it would be cleverer to use Peter, no one would think they'd choose him. Everyone else thought I was the Secret Keeper, even Dumbledore, but I convinced them to switch to Peter", Sirius explained. He was starting to feel like the little cousin again, the one who could tell his sorrows to the kind older cousin, who always played with him and Reg. But there was no room for comfort, not yet anyway.

"We came to their house and the roof had blown off. Front door shattered. James-. James lying in the hallway, Lily in Harry's room. I don't know how, but somehow Harry was okay. He's alive. But Dumbledore took him, he's going to his aunt and uncle's."

"Oh, Sirius", Meda said sadly. "I'm so sorry."

"Will you look after Ria? I have to find that traitor, I have to find Peter", he spat the name. "Otherwise they'll think it was me. And I want to find him and know how he could betray his best friends!"

"Of course", Meda said without hesitation.

"Swear to me you will look after her, Meda. No matter what. Look after her until I, or Mary come and get her."

"I swear, Sirius. You have my word on it", again without hesitation. "But you don't have to go, wait for Dumbledore, find out what happened."

"I can't. I have to find that coward myself. For Prongs and Lily. Just, try to understand, please", Sirius pleaded with a desperate look in his eyes.

Meda nodded sadly and Sirius turned towards his daughter. Ria looked small, delicate and sad that it nearly tore his heart to bits. He lifted her chin up so that he could look into her eyes. Gray eyes met gray eyes when Ria looked at her father, silently pleading him to stay. She knew it was useless, she knew her father well and she wanted Peter down as much as he did.

"Be a good girl, Ria. I love you."

"Love you too, Dad. Promise to back?"

"I promise. I give you my word, that I'll be back."

"Good. You never break promise. You back", she said proudly, it had always been something she could count on. Sirius never lied to her, never broke a promise. "Be safe, Dad."

"I'll be safe, dear. You look after yourself as well and I'll see you before you notice any time has gone by."

Sirius hugged his daughter, kissed her forehead and received a kiss from her in return, before he turned to Meda, hugged her as well and apparated to Peter's apartment with the images of James, Lily and Harry with him. The last thought he had before vanishing, was of Ria crying two bloody tears for her godparents. And the memory shattered his heart.


	2. Chapter 1: A knobbly, brown cane

_Author's Note: Firstly, sorry for the big gap, I have MAJOR tests coming up and sadly my parents think they are more important than writing. Secondly, I'm looking for a Beta for this story, anyone interested or know anyone who is willing to Beta stories? Would appreciate it, thanks. And thirdly, when you read about Ana, please don't tell me no four-year-old acts this way, okay. I know that already :-)._

**Disclaimer: After years of wishing, Harry Potter still isn't mine. There is this incredibly wise woman named J. K. Rowling who invented it all. Credits to her!**

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><p>Chapter 1 – A knobbly, brown cane<p>

**Summer, 1984**

In Ariana's mind it didn't matter if her best friend would never eat, or even see, the birthday cake she made him, the idea was all that mattered. Every July 30th she would start making the cake (with a great deal of help from Aunt Meda) and finish it with great pride, since she was never one for cooking but managed to make a fine cake. She insisted on putting the right number of candles and writing 'HARRY' on it herself, even though, technically, she couldn't write yet. Maybe that was the reason why no one could understand what it said until Harry's fifth birthday. Aunt Meda would then take a picture of Ana with the cake, which would end up in the album Ana had bought just for this. She dreamed of the day she could finally give this to Harry.

This year the cake was a chocolate one. Ana had recently acquired a chocolate addiction that her Aunt Meda blamed on Remus Lupin, one of Ana's many uncles but the only one, not counting Ted, who survived the War. She was one of Ana's favourite persons and she showed this by calling him Moony, an old nickname her father and his friends had come up with in their fifth year at Hogwarts. She was a compassionate little thing, Ana was, only two and a half feet tall but had a heart bigger than anyone. She was ready to adopt everyone she loved in her self made family since she no longer lived with her parents. Her family included: Aunt Meda, Uncle Ted, her "sister" Dora (or Nymphadora if they were in a fight), Moony who she adored, her godfather Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody, Ana absolutely loved the weird nickname and Albus Dumbledore, Ana's other godfather who she got to call Albus (she couldn't pronounce Dumbledore yet), plus Minerva McGonagall who was Ana's godmother. She was called Minnie, Sirius' old nickname for his old Head of House because McGonagall was hard to pronounce as well and Ana thought Minerva was too stern a name for her godmother. This reasoning always made Dumbledore's eyes twinkle with amusement.

If someone had known about Ana's well-known godparents they would have been surprised, but no one did know. Ana didn't like to talk about herself that much, a trait McGonagall accused Dumbledore of teaching her, without realizing of course that she was the same herself. All the same, Ana loved her family, the weird members of it, the fact that it consisted of people who liked her and didn't condemn her because of her father. The prerogative of belonging in her family was, in fact, a silent agreement, a promise of never saying bad things about Ana's loved and missed father. A father everyone thought was guilty of murder and betrayal. Ana never believed that and neither did the Tonks'. Everyone else in her family accepted the fact that she could remain loving the father who had raised and adored her, while not accepting his final actions. Ana, thankfully, learned quickly not to try to conform anyone into her line of thinking, and therefore could live quite happily for years, with the gloom of missing her father in her thoughts.

It was on Harry's fourth birthday, when Ariana Lily Black, named after her two godfather's women (Sirius' idea of a joke), for the first time met her paternal grandmother. To say this meeting went peacefully would be like saying Chudley Cannons would finish 1st in the league this year. Utterly impossible.

The day Ana met her father's mother started with laughter. Ana had woken Dora up early like she had done the whole summer. Normally Dora would have just ordered her away with a shout, like any siblings do, but because she was aware of Ana's anxiety of Dora leaving for Hogwarts this year and wanting to spend time with her, she just got up with a grunt and harsh words (a big-sisters duty). They had always gotten along well, despite the seven year age difference was seven years and Ana had lived with her for two and half years. This was not so long, but for children even a year is an eternity.

On this particular morning Ana had a special reason for waking Dora up. She was a mischievous child who loved pranking and she was rather good at it. Another thing Ana was good at, was sneaking and very quietly too. This morning she wanted to show Dora what happened when she combined these two qualities.

"Dora, come on. Dress more quickly!" Ana was throwing her clothes at her, trying to speed the process. She never could understand how it took so long for Dora and Aunt Meda to dress.

"I am, I am. Ouch", Dora had banged her foot on the bed. Ana just rolled her eyes, this happened often. Dora was just like Uncle Ted, they were both clumsy. "I'd be quicker if you stopped hurrying me."

"No you wouldn't. You'd just go back to sleep."

"Yes", Dora laughed. "I probably would."

"There's no probably in that sentence. It is a fact", Ana said. "I know, because last time, when I didn't stand here watching you, you _did_ go back to sleep. You don't even need as much sleep as you claim you do."

"Yes I do", said Dora in her big-sister-lecture-voice. "When you get older, you need more sleep. Mum said so."

Ana rolled her eyes again, something she had picked up from her friends in the village. She sat on Dora's bed, watching her excitedly. She wanted to show Dora her prank. She even thought it might be one of her best ones. Ana was waiting for the time when she could go to Hogwarts as well, get her wand and do magic, because that would make pranking easier. Now she had to do everything the Muggle way, not counting the times she accidentally got hold of Aunt Meda's or Uncle Ted's wands.

"What did you do anyway?" Dora asked when she finally was dressed and Ana kept tugging her downstairs.

"You'll see", she said laughing. "I want to see your face when you see it."

"You didn't touch any of my stuff, did you?" Dora asked suspiciously.

"No, not this time."

"What do you mean, this -. Oh no, Mum won't like this!"

They had reached the kitchen and Dora could see what Ana had done. Their kitchen looked like a rainbow had exploded in it, colours were everywhere, red and pink side by side, green and yellow, blue and orange. It was hideous. Ana had painted each cabinet with a horror combination of colours, the table was maroon, the fridge was lime-green and the floor was a combination of every colour. She had definitely gone to a lot of trouble to cause mayhem.

"You've gone mad", Dora said faintly. "To do all this in the night, trying not to wake us, staying up so long and everything. Just so you could annoy mum. She can even clean this up in no time."

"I know", Ana said smiling proudly. "But this will annoy her, then she'll explode and after that she'll laugh her head off saying I'm just like Dad."

"You do all this", Dora said waving her arm to indicate the kitchen. "So you could hear her say you're like Sirius?"

"No, of course not. I do this to make you all laugh", Ana said like it was obvious.

Dora shook her head, clearly stating her sister was still mad. But if she said this, Ana would just smile even more proudly and say that all the best people were. Dora knew she meant Dumbledore when she said this and she wasn't going to argue with her. It was pointless. Ana always believed in her own things first and only after she herself came to the conclusion she had been wrong, would she change her mind. Dad said it was a good thing and Dora loved Ana as she was, so no one ever thought of trying to change her. That was not how Andromeda and Ted Tonks raised their children, they believed only in showing them the right way of doing things and doing them properly. Andromeda had been raised thinking she was better than anyone else, that she could treat other people badly just because she was a Black and they weren't, and she wanted more than anything to _not_ do the same thing to Dora and Ana. There was only one thing Meda approved in her upbringing and that was being tidy. Unfortunately for her, both her husband and daughter were as untidy as they could be without being downright messy, but Ana on the other hand, was very tidy.

"I don't want to be here when Mum sees this", Dora said nervously. "She'll end up thinking I helped you."

"No she won't. I'll tell her you were sleeping and nearly snoring. She believes me, I don't lie."

"I was not _nearly snoring_!"

"Yes you were", Ana sniggered. "And she knows it as well."

"You're impossible, you know that much, right?"

"Proud to be of service", Ana said bowing dramatically. Dora started laughing when she saw the pompous face Ana was pretending to have, and soon they were both laughing.

"What are you two doing here this early? I would have thought you'd still be in -. ARIANA LILY BLACK WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MY KITCHEN!"

"I've improved it", said the girl laughing. She had noticed the similarity in Aunt Meda's and Dora's reactions. Only the volume changed. "Don't you like it?"

"Like it? Like it? Not even a colour-blind person could like this monstrosity! What were you thinking? And when did you do this?"

"This night. I thought it would be fun", Ana said still smiling.

"And how is it you didn't make a sound?" Aunt Meda asked with a deceptive calmness. Ana, however, wasn't fooled since she had heard that tone many times before, sometimes without even trying to make her aunt use it.

"Mad-Eye taught me. He thinks it would be good if I knew how to move without making a sound. I've been practising."

"Of course he did. He doesn't think about the amount of trouble you could, _and can_, cause, just the fact that you could do it. What does he think he's doing, training you to become an Auror?"

"That'd be cool", Ana exclaimed, happily.

"No, it wouldn't", Aunt Meda said sharply. She was eyeing the kitchen with a keen eye, noticing everything. Ana was watching her Aunt's face carefully; waiting for the little twitch in the corner of her mouth that would tell her Aunt Meda was on the brink of laughter. "It is already bad enough that you walk without a sound, but to be an Auror? I'll consider it when you're 17."

"Why is it that everything fun and interesting is to be considered when I'm 17?" Ana asked grumpily.

"Because everything _you _consider fun and interesting", Dora smiled. "_Mum_ considers dangerous and unsuitable."

"Exactly", Aunt Meda said. She was still eyeing the kitchen, but now it was with amusement. Ana had been right when she said Aunt Meda always laughed in the end. "I have to say, I do not know why you go to this much trouble just to cause trouble."

"It's fun", Ana answered cheekily. "And you can't deny you don't get a good laugh out of my pranks."

"You're right, I can't deny that", Aunt Meda said, now laughing. "But –"

Ana shut her ears from the lecture she knew Aunt Meda was giving her. It didn't matter anyway since she had heard it many times before and would hear it many times to come. She was getting bored and hoped something would happen, when she heard the knock.

"We're not expecting anyone, are we?" she asked Aunt Meda confused. "And not this early?" It was only 8 o'clock.

"We're not", she confirmed. "Better see who it is."

Together they walked to the front door. Ana was wondering who it might be: the knock hadn't sounded familiar, it was brief, precise and in someway not welcoming. Why a knock into another person's house should be welcoming, Ana didn't know, it was just the feeling she had gotten. It was just that whoever was waiting outside their front door, had knocked only once. Usually people knocked at least twice, sometimes three, four times before waiting for someone to open up.

Aunt Meda opened the door and before Ana could see who it was, she heard her aunt's gasp of surprise. This roused her curiosity, which was even normally quite annoying. She went to stand beside Dora to see who the mystery guest was, since Aunt Meda was just staring at them. When Ana saw the guest she couldn't understand why Aunt Meda was so shell-shocked, it was just some old lady. A rather formidable old lady, to be completely honest, but an old lady just the same. The guest's hair was in a tight bun, it was a mixture of black and grey, her eyes were grey and piercing, her mouth unsmiling and her cane (who used a cane anymore?) was a knobbly, brown one. It was the unsmiling mouth that told Ana she probably wouldn't like this lady since she was always smiling and laughing herself.

"Hello, Andromeda", said the old witch. Ana could now see she was a witch, her wand was in her pocket. "You haven't changed, I can see that. Would you mind inviting me inside?"

Ana thought it was kind of rude to say something like that. Aunt Meda apparently thought the same, she didn't invite her in. Instead she asked: "What are you doing here?"

"I've come to see my granddaughter", the old witch answered like it was the most obvious thing. Her answer made Ana and Dora look at each other in bewilderment, because that could be either one of them.

"Why? Why now? Why do you even care?" Aunt Meda asked with more heat. Ana could see Aunt Meda didn't like this person.

"Of course I care. She is my only grandchild, the only one I'll ever get."

This answer told Ana who the old witch was. It was her father's mother, the one who had hated him, who hadn't come to Uncle Reg's funeral, the one who had ripped Dad off the family tapestry. Ana was now sure she wouldn't like her.

"That didn't matter to you nearly five years ago when she was born, did it? Why now? And tell me the truth."

The old witch, Ana had no idea what her name was, looked outraged at first, but then she came to a decision and composed herself.

"Because there is no one else. No one else I would like to see", she said at last. This seemed to surprise Aunt Meda. "I have been thinking about this for a long time and now seemed the time."

"Now?" Ana decided to join the conversation. She wanted to know what the woman really wanted, if she was being truthful. "Yeah, right. You don't care about your family, not if it isn't the right kind at least. You accept a child only if they think like you: stupidly."

Dora was looking at her with her mouth wide open. She had never heard Ana speak so rudely that to anyone, ever. Aunt Meda was watching her with a sad expression, which told Ana that she had done something similar to what her dad would've done. The only one who didn't seem to be affected by the speech was the person to whom it was spoken to. She was wearing the same haughty expression as before.

"I see. You think like your father."

"Yes", Ana said without missing a beat. She had never been ashamed of her father and wouldn't start now.

"Very well. I am… Sorry to hear that you won't give me the opportunity", she said slowly. Ana did her best to try and squash the feeling of guilt she got – after all she didn't deserve it. "If you ever feel like you would like to become acquainted with me and the rest of the family, at least the ones that are alive and would welcome you, I mean", Ana suppressed a smile that was tickling the corners of her mouth. "You can always visit me. Grimmauld Place number 12."

With that she nodded at Aunt Meda and Dora, gave an odd, weak smile for Ana and Disapparated. Ana thought that was, again, rather rude, but she knew that after the welcome she had received it was understandable. Her guess was that she had wanted to show them what she thought of them, without saying anything. Aunt Meda snorted.

"A Black never says rude things to another Black, they just act rudely if they don't like them", she said. Ana gathered that her guess was correct. "Ugh, I never liked her."

"What's her name?" Ana asked. She couldn't help it, her curiosity won the dislike she felt for the Blacks. Not counting Aunt Meda, who, as it happened, wasn't counted as one. Not after her marriage to Uncle Ted.

"Walburga Black", Aunt Meda said and Ana and Dora promptly started laughing hysterically. "We never had much sense in naming our children. _Your_ name", she said to Dora. "Is nice, whatever you say to the contrary. At least I didn't name you Elladora or, Merlin help me, Walburga."

Ana and Dora continued their laughter. It was a welcome distraction after the horrible visit from Walburga Black. Aunt Meda ushered them into the kitchen that was left untouched until Uncle Ted came and saw it. But even though Ana was laughing and nearly forgot all about her awful grandmother, there was one thought that kept nagging her. _I am sorry to hear that you won't give me the opportunity._ She couldn't help but think of all the people who judged her when they heard her last name and whether or not she was any better than all those judgemental people were. After all Walburga shared that name, she would know what it meant and felt like even though she would never admit it. What finally hit her was the thought that crept up in her mind: Walburga had known that Ana wouldn't like being compaired to the majority of the Wizarding world who judged her because of her last-name, but how?

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><p><em>Author's Note: Reviews are always appreciated and to tell you a secret, I already have two more chapters written. Quicker updates coming up!<em>


	3. Chapter 2: Chocolate Frog

_Author's Note: I AM SO SORRY! I can give you very good reasons for this long time of not updating (major exams, my laptop dying etc) but that probably won't make you feel any better. I know I'm feeling miserable. Luckily I can tell you that not only is my laptop working again (thank you Dad) but those killer exams are also over. Now I can devote my time to writing this more quickly. What do you think? And thank you to Alec. Volturi. Nicoleta, Cathie Cathie and The Net of Heaven for liking my story. I did notice your interest and sorry for not acknowledging that sooner. On with the chapter and even though I don't deserve it, review? Oh, one other thing, I'm thinking I should have a updating schedule so I write on time. So I'm suggesting two weeks since my friend who is betaing this for me needs time as well. What do you tink?  
><em>

**Disclaimer: Once again everything you recognise is J. K. Rowling's work, thank Merlin for her!**

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><p>Chapter 2 – Chocolate Frog<p>

**Summer, 1984**

Remus John Lupin was walking around his flat, thoughts twirling in his brain. He was restless. He had received a message from Ana two days ago saying she wanted to talk to him about something. He had replied "of course, come over" but still this kept nagging at his thoughts. What did she want to talk about? It had to be something important because Ana didn't ask for time unless she was really troubled – like that time when she was dealing with the reaction she got about her last-name – otherwise she just came over, unannounced, uninvited but welcomed.

Even though Remus tried to smother one thought, it wouldn't be held down, kind of like the person whom he was thinking about. Ana was so like Sirius. He had been the same, pretended everything was alright until he couldn't keep it in anymore and then he would talk it over with him or… James. But one thing always stayed the same. If Sirius was thinking or worrying about something, it was important. And this was why Remus kept walking around his flat. What had happened to cause Ana this much uneasiness?

He looked at the clock on his wall impatiently which was rare because usually he was a very patient man, sometimes even too patient. But what the clock told him wasn't helpful, because it showed him he had to wait for a little while longer. Remus glanced a look of himself in the mirror and winced slightly: his hair was still light brown but with more grey in it than there had been five years ago, his eyes looked more tired and the bags around them were more pronounced (the full moon had been a week ago). How he hated his curse. Of course, Remus smiled sadly, Ana didn't care because in her young and innocent mind being a werewolf was a natural part of him. She used to say that Remus wouldn't be Moony if he wasn't a werewolf. "And I love your eyes, why can't I have eyes like yours?" she asked him so often he had gotten tired of answering.

His eyes were, in fact, the only thing in his appearance Remus wasn't sure whether or not he liked. On one hand they were unusual (Ana claimed they were beautiful) but on the other they reminded him of wolves. But then again, what didn't? Amber was their colour, even though they could be called brown if one was unimaginative. Remus chuckled to himself while prowling since that was one thing Ana could never be accused of.

He had just walked into the kitchen when he heard the familiar noise of flames coming anf going that told him Ana had arrived.

"Moony? Where are you?" he could hear Ana's voice calling out for him and then coughing. "I don't like Floo Powder!"

"In the kitchen", he replied, smiling. Ana said the same thing every time she used Floo Network which was why she preferred Side-Along Apparition. She complained about the law that prevented under-age wizards or witches from Apparating even though she knew why the law had been made – splinching wasn't a nice thing. Something James had found out the night Harry was born. He had received Sirius' message about Lily going into labour and Apparated right away and got himself splinched. Needless to say Lily wasn't pleased when it took the Ministry Employees an hour to find his missing pieces.

"Are you eating chocolate again?" Ana asked wearily.

"No", Remus answered. He closed the drawer where he kept his chocolate and hoped Ana wouldn't find out.

"I heard that", Ana said gleefully. Remus sighed and opened the drawer again. "I want some too." She had walked into the kitchen and when Remus turned around he could see Ana smiling while holding out her hand.

"You eat too much chocolate already. You don't need to eat more and if you do, Andromeda will have my head."

Ana snorted. "If _I _eat too much chocolate I would be scared to know what _you're_ chocolate eating qualifies as."

"Qualifies?" Remus smiled. "Who taught you that one?"

"Uncle Ted but I forget why. You forgot my chocolate, Moony."

Remus accepted defeat and gave her a Chocolate Frog. While unwrapping his own he looked at Ana. He couldn't believe someone who was related to Sirius, who was a Black and by definition tall, could be so tiny. Ana was only two feet tall, with small hands and feet and she looked like a strong wind would knock her over. This was however completely wrong. She may have looked like she was made of glass but she was strong, incredibly so considering her size. She hadn't inherited Sirius' size but everything else in her appearance was pure him. She had the same thick, black hair, straight nose, high cheekbones which Sirius had jokingly called "the Black proof of royalty", even her mouth was the same. Remus recognized the upwards lift in the left corner of her mouth as the same Sirius had had. And the grey eyes that would change colour depending on her mood: darkest grey, nearly black when angry, silver when extremely happy and the usual dark grey any other day. Of course Ana didn't think about her looks because she had learned they had nothing to do with the person inside the body. Now that Remus thought about it, it probably had something to do with Nymphadora since she was a Metamorphmagus. If your sister could change her appearance at will you probably would learn not to trust looks.

"What card did you get?" Ana asked when she had finished her Frog. Remus, who had been eating Chocolate Frogs for as long as he could remember had every card imaginable. Ana though had only recently started collecting cards because Remus insisted.

"Dumbledore", Remus laughed. Ana made a face, not only was it a common card, she didn't think he was that special because she saw him often; on summer holidays, Boxing Day, and the off weekend she wanted company and he had time for her. But then again when Hogwarts' Headmaster was your godfather you probably saw him as a human being. "What did you get?"

Ana dropped her card and exclaimed: "Merlin!"

"Ana! Be glad Andromeda didn't hear you or she would… Do something a mother should do when her child swears", Remus scolded her. Then he thought again: "Oh, right. You got Merlin."

Ana smirked. "That was too easy. You're slipping Moony."

Remus rolled his eyes. "And with you here I feel so mature. You drag me down to your level, make me help you with your pranks and generally just act like a child."

"Moony, I am a child", she pointed out.

"Very well. What did you want to talk about?"

Ana suddenly became very interested in the Merlin card she was holding in her hand. Remus understood she didn't want to look at him while talking, again something Sirius had done. It really was spooky to see how similar they were.

"We had a visitor last week", Ana told him. "My grandmother."

"Your… Oh! That must have been interesting."

"You could say that", Ana muttered.

"What did she want?" Remus asked sitting down. Ana followed him and sat on the kitchen floor, looking smaller than usual when she pulled her knees close to her chest.

"To see me."

"After nearly five years? Where has she been?"

"Don't know. She said she was lonely. She doesn't have anyone to talk to."

"For what did you want my opinion?" Remus asked. He was pissed off but this wasn't a feeling he could share with Ana. Why did Sirius' mother have to contact Ana now, after she had finally learned to ignore the fear people felt upon hearing her last-name.

"Am I a bad person if I don't give her a chance?" Ana asked with a small voice. Remus was once again taken aback with how mature Ana really was. She was five years old and acting like she was at least fifteen. No other five-year-old would think about whether or not he or she was a bad person. Moments like these and it was easy to forget how young Ana really was.

"Truth or the easy option?" he asked. This was one thing Ana required, even demanded every time something was discussed: the option to be treated as a child or as a child wiser beyond her years. Usually she wanted the truth but sometimes Remus wondered if it was a good thing: wouldn't she lose her childhood if people didn't treat her as one.

"Both, I think", Ana said, now looking straight at Remus.

"Let me think."

He knew the answer and he was pretty sure Ana knew it as well but it was easier if someone else told you what to do. Not that Ana ever did what she was told, she was in this aspect as normal as anyone else: she wanted someone to talk to.

Remus didn't know that much about Ana's paternal grandmother, he didn't even know her name, but what he did know, was Ana's personality. And he knew Ana would never forgive herself if she didn't visit her grandmother. And, more importantly, she had never been one to trust someone else's judgement.

"In my opinion – you do know what that means don't you?" Ana gave him a glare. "So you do. I think that you should visit her and see what she is like. If she truly is as horrible to you as she was to your father, you can ignore her with a good conscience", at this Ana looked at him oddly. Remus laughed. She knew what qualification was but not conscience. "It means your inner voice, the one that tells you if you are doing the right thing or the wrong thing."

"Oh, that! Yes, Aunt Meda has tried to talk to me about that but I haven't listened."

"Of course you haven't. As I was saying, if she is horrible you can ignore her but if she is kinder to you than she was to your father, you can add one person to your family."

"I thought the same. Aunt Meda wasn't happy about her visit, I couldn't really talk to her about this. I understand her, she was 'blasted off the family tapestry' as Dad said."

"And do you know who blew her off?" Remus asked.

"I don't know but I think it was my grandmother. Dad said the tapestry was in his and Uncle Reg's house where she lived."

Remus would have been impressed about her deduction skills if this wasn't a usual occurrence. When she had been younger Remus had been worried about her since she was so unusual. No other three-year-old he knew or even knew about could have a conversation so that the other person understood what was being said. But after Dumbledore said it was a family thing, from her mothers' side, Remus had tried to accept it and in his own mind finally had. It was easier than to try and rationalize her doings.

"Good work", Remus complemented. "Now, what would you like to do?"

Ana's face lit up and Remus could see the five-year-old who was interested in everything.

"Can we go flying? Please?"

"Only if you won't tell your aunt I took you flying with a real broom, not a toy one."

"Moony, when have I ever told her anything I shouldn't?" Ana asked with a mock sigh.

"Never, until now but I know from experience never to trust a Marauder."

"I'm not a Marauder, just a daughter."

"I'll teach you a new word: offspring", Remus told her in a stern voice, the one Ana jokingly called "professor voice". "It means someone's children and grandchildren. And you, my dear, are a Marauder offspring, Merlin help us all."

Ana's face was screwed in deep concentration until it cleared up. "Got it. Can we go flying now?"

"Of course. I'll just get my broom."

Remus stood up, walked out of the kitchen into the living room and outdoors with Ana trailing behind him. Remus liked his home, it was far from anything because it had to (his transformations) but it looked welcoming. A small house where he had lived for fifteen years. This was the house his parents had left him and he hadn't felt the need to move since it had everything he needed. On the western side of the house was a broom closet where he kept his own Cleansweep and Ana's toy broom. It was kept here since Andromeda and Ted's house was located too near a Muggle village for flying. Remus took his broom out and in an instant Ana was beside him: she loved flying more than anything.

"Only for ten minutes, tops", Remus told her in what he hoped was an I-don't-accept-any-objections voice. Ana's face fell but lit up again.

"Can I fly with my own broom after that?"

"That you can do."

"Let's go then!"

And soon they were soaring in the skies, towards the forest. Ana's laughter could be heard as Remus made a dive which would have scared any other child. Ana thrived on this and when they had spent the ten minutes (and five more) in the skies, Ana's worries had been left on the ground, left behind with the wind, just as Remus had intended. He wasn't a Marauder for nothing after all, he could manipulate someone while looking as innocent as any other person.

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><p><em>AN: That's it for this time but the next chapter should be more interesting. We get to really meet Walburga!<em>


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